


Home

by LaTuaCara



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Drabbles, Gen, Mostly Gen, Post Episode: s08e23 Sacrifice, Spoilers For Episode: s08e23 Sacrifice, many OCs - Freeform, maybe some dean/cas if you squint, only dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-11
Updated: 2013-06-29
Packaged: 2017-12-14 17:00:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/839233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaTuaCara/pseuds/LaTuaCara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes three days and ten conversations to get Castiel home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

"Are you okay?"

"…"

"You're… not dressed for hiking, is all."

"I suppose I'm not. I am… a bit lost."

"Oh, well, I can help you there. Where you headed to?"

"…"

"I can take you to the nearest town, if you like. I'm… headed that way myself."

"That would be very kind of you."

"You're welcome. M' name's Holly, by the way."

"I am Cast- just Cas."

"Okay, Just Cas, it's nice to meet you."

"When I said 'just Cas' I meant 'Cas' on its own, not that my name was 'Just Cas'."

"I- okay, Cas."

"…"

"So how did you end up lost out here?"

"Someone I thought I could trust betrayed me and left me with no way of returning home."

"He left you in the middle of the woods?"

"He didn't intend to."

"You should probably be happy you're not around him anymore."

"I understand his motives. I merely wish he'd… gone about achieving his goal in another way."

"Then you're a bigger man than most I know."

"I know taller."

"I didn't mean hei- you don't get out much, do ya?"

"…"

"Yeah, I shoulda known you wouldn't have understood that either, I- so where's 'home', Cas?"

"I… I'm not sure."

"Then where you headed?"

"I suppose… I will head towards my… my family. If they'll have me."

"I can't imagine family would leave you homeless."

"They may feel I betrayed them."

"Well, this is a bit of a pickle, ain't it? Need to talk about it?"

"It… it's complicated."

"Ain't it always."

"It certainly seems so."

"I'll listen if you want to tell me. I won't tell no one."

"I'd rather you didn't tell anyone, but it would… be nice to tell someone, I suppose."

"That's what I meant."

"Well, all right. I can't tell you the specific details, but… the two brothers and I were travelling together, for our profession. It's… a family business. It gets a bit dangerous, and a few times… circumstances have become fraught. We've all made sacrifices to continue, but once I… went behind their backs to save them. They were not pleased. After, circumstances meant that we spent a few years apart. A lot happened in that time. I eventually found my way back to them, but… we did not trust one another as we originally had. One of the brothers, Dean, and I ended up…  _working_ without Sam, and when Dean had to leave, I stayed. We lost contact again. I ended up back with them, for a short period of time. By this point, we had… taken on different roles within the business, and sometimes our interests differed. I left for a business trip on my own, and I suppose Dean felt it was one time too many that I had left. Once I returned, he was… displeased. Then I met the man who would betray me, and I felt as though he could help me… fix all the problems; not just between the brothers and I, but also the problems surrounding the business itself. Obviously, that did not work out as planned. I… worry that this will count as another time I have left."

"That's one hell of a story."

"'Hell' would be the right term."

"Well, even after all that… well, these boys sound like they care a lot for ya. You always ended up back with them, right? If they turn you away, I'd be shocked."

"That is reassuring, thank you."

"You're welcome. Here's my car, it's about a five minute trip from here to town. You know where you're goin' from there?"

"No, but I'm sure I can find it."

"I can drive you a little further, if ya need."

"I wouldn't want to put you out any further, Holly. You have already been very kind."

"Well, it's my pleasure. My good deed of the day, eh?"

"Is there a limit on how many 'good deed's one must do a day?"

"No, I- these brothers of yours overprotective?"

"I suppose one could consider them such. Under the circumstances we often find ourselves in… I think it would be understandable."

"You the youngest, then? I am, too."

"No. I am older than both."

"Then why are they protective of you? It's usually the other way round, ain't it?"

"I wouldn't know. I… was not raised with the two of them. They were raised into this life. Although I was raised in a similar way, they often say I did not grow up 'in the real world', so they must look after me."

"I suppose that makes sense. Well, these brothers seem good to you. Much better than mine were to me."

"Isn't family supposed to mean loyalty and looking after one another?"

"Sure, but that don't mean they gotta be nice about it!"

"..."

"Hey, it ain't as bad as you seem to think it is. Just 'cause you got lucky with yours, don't mean the rest of us are barbarians!"

"I apologise."

"'S all right. Anyway, this is town. It's pretty small, but you can get to the city from here. Where d'you want me to drop ya?"

"Somewhere they serve coffee, please."

"Not had your caffeine fix recently, eh? Know how that feels."

"I just… enjoy the taste."

"Yeah, that's what I tell myself, too. Here y'are. I wish you the best of luck in getting home."

"And I wish you luck in whatever endeavours you choose to undertake. Thank you for your kindness, truly."

"It's my pleasure. Bye, Cas."

"Goodbye."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, you all right there?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Okay, 'cause there's a company policy that says we can't let anyone stay for hours unless they spend enough money to make it worth it. Two cups of coffee aren't cutting it."

"Oh. I apologise."

" _But_ … I tend to forget that policy if the customer tells me what makes them spend… two hours in a coffee shop without doing a single thing but nurse his cup of coffee."

"I'm trying to find out how to get home."

"That's not enough."

"A man I thought I could trust stole my most valuable possession, took me far from the people I… love, and possibly any last shreds of trust they had for me, then stranded me in the middle of a forest. I got help from a kind woman to guide me here, and now I am trying to find out both where I am and how I can get back to my family."

"…"

"…"

"That's enough."

"Thank you."

"I can help you. Let me just grab a map."

"Okay."

"…"

"…"

"Right, so we're here. D'you know where your family is?"

"No, not really."

"That's… weird."

"They… move around a lot, and recently settled down somewhere. The one time I went to visit, I was injured and they drove."

"Well, that makes things more difficult. Any clue at all?"

"I believe I heard one of them saying it was in… Lebanin?"

" _Lebanon_?"

"Yes, Lebanon."

"That's in  _Asia_."

"No… they live in the USA, I'm sure of it. The man in the grocery store had an accent similar to your own."

"I guess… there could be a town called Lebanon? I'm from Kansas, by the way. Would that be where they live?"

"It would have a certain… poetic element to it, I suppose."

"What?"

"That's where they were born."

"Oh! Then it makes sense they'd go back."

"I don't think they chose what state, but yes."

"Divine intervention, then. I'm sure angels like the romantic aspect of it."

"…"

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes. I am okay."

"If… you're sure."

"I am."

"Well, if you go to the library, you can Google this Lebanon place."

"Could you possibly direct me to the library?"

"Sure. But first, you owe me for your coffee." 


	3. Chapter 3

"How can I help you?"

"What is a Google?"

"Um… if you go on one of the computers over there, you can go on Google."

"Thank you."

"…"

"…"

"Why are you still here?"

"I do not know how to use a computer."

"Well, it's a slow hour. I suppose I can show you how to Google something quickly."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. Follow me."

"…"

"Okay, you see this button here?"

"Yes."

"It brings up the internet browser. It goes straight to Google, see?"

"Oh. Yes."

"Now you just type what you want to search in, and it'll show you all the results. Okay?"

"I think so."

"Okay."

"How do you spell 'Lebanon'?"

"Oh Jesus, you ever even been to school? Here, I'll do it for you."

"Thank you."

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Is there a Lebanon in the USA?"

"Uh… yeah, says there's a Lebanon in Oregon, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Ohio and Indiana."

"The one in Kansas."

"What about it?"

"That's where my family is."

"Okay, great. Can I get back to work now?"

"Of course. How would I get to Lebanon, Kansas?"

"So you still need my help."

"You may go back to work if you wish, of course."

"…"

"…"

"If you get a bus to the city, there'll be buses you can get from there to Topeka. I wouldn't know how to get from there to this Lebanon place, but that'll get you some of the way. You got the money for that?"

"I have money."

"Yeah. How much?"

"This much."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Yeah, that'll get you to Kansas. It's not far. But for God's sake, don't go flashing that at just anyone."

"…"

"Not just anyone would give it all back."

"Oh."

"Yeah. You ever left home before, boy?"

"Not alone, not like this."

"When you get back home, tell your family not to let you leave again. You're lucky to have survived this far."

"I know. Thank you very much for your help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am having serious problems with the formatting, it keeps trying to centre it. If a chapter's centred, please tell me - I'm trying to get it right, promise!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the really long speech in here basically just details the story of Swan Song. I couldn't keep it concise. It doesn't say anything that matters to the story line, so you can skip it, if you want.

 

"Hey. Where you going to?"

"Lebanon, Kansas."

"I don't think any bus from here goes there."

"I was told to get a bus into the city and then a bus from the city to Topeka, then to figure out the rest of the way from there."

"Sounds about right. Why you going to Lebanon, Kansas?"

"That's where my family lives."

"Okay, then; why are you here?"

"I got… stranded by someone untrustworthy."

"Aw, man. That sucks."

"Yes, it was… rather a tragic occurrence."

"…"

"…"

"I'm Alice. What's your name?"

"Cas."

"That's an… unusual name."

"I was named by 'unusual' people."

"I can tell  _that_."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"It's gonna take you a while to get to Kansas, isn't it?"

"I assume so."

"Do you have a book hidden in that coat or something?"

"No, I am… rather good at quiet contemplation."

"Sure, but what happens when you get hungry?"

"Oh, I had forgotten about that."

" _Forgotten_?"

"Yes. I suppose I can buy some food in the city."

"Yeah, you'll probably have to wait a while for a bus. They're not exactly frequent."

"Okay."

"So… fancy telling me the story of this traitor?"

"Not particularly. It isn't the… happiest story I have."

"Then tell me a happy one."

"…"

"…"

"Okay. There was a man they called the Righteous Man and his brother, who was more often called an abomination. Surprisingly, by human terms, one would consider the Abomination the more virtuous of the two – and he truly was a good man; kind, friendly, humorous, loyal to a fault,  _good_. It was merely a taint he did not choose staining him, but that did not change that heaven had a plan for the two. They were to start the apocalypse, thus creating paradise on Earth. It started when the Righteous Man was sent to Hell – he made a demon deal to bring his brother back to life – and he broke the first seal of the 66 to release Lucifer from his eternal punishment. The Righteous Man was not aware of the true consequences of his actions. In any case, many angels were sent to raise him from Perdition. The one who succeeded was merely an average warrior of the Lord, one who had never known himself to be special at all. He knew nothing of the plot for the apocalypse, and he didn't know that heaven had made sure the angels sent to rescue the Righteous Man would arrive after he had broken the first seal. It turned out that he... was special, however. He had an affection for humans that was not often seen from his angel brethren, and a better grasp on the idea of Free Will. As such, the Angel then took it upon himself to… protect the two, somewhat. Over the course of some months and many events, they became friends. In fact... they became almost as family. The Angel fell from heaven for the brothers, all so they could prevent the apocalypse from coming to pass. It became difficult. At many points, one of the trio wanted to give up. Most frequently, it was the Righteous Man. He would have sacrificed the world to save his brother... and maybe the Angel, too. The Angel once had to literally beat sense into him. The Righteous Man eventually became resolute, alongside his brother, that he would not allow the apocalypse to happen. However, they had a half-brother who, although not the ideal participant, was able to fulfill the Righteous Man's part. The brothers had no choice. The Abomination came up with a plan: he would pretend to play his part, and then lock himself, with Lucifer, back into eternal punishment. The Righteous Man did not like this. He didn't want to have to live without his brother, and he did not think his brother deserved it. The Abomination was sure he must repent for the actions that led to him earning the name 'Abomination'. Time was running out, and the Fallen Angel chose to support the Abomination, despite his... more profound bond to the Righteous Man. The Righteous Man did not accept this easily, however. When the Abomination and the half-brother met to start the apocalypse, the Righteous Man turned up regardless. The Abomination was taken over by purpose at this point, however, and he beat the Righteous Man almost to death. All was going according to heaven's plan. There was one thing heaven had not accounted for, though – the brothers' love for one another. See, the Righteous Man had turned up in the car that had belonged to him for many years, and his father before him. It held plastic army men in the vents, the brothers' initials inscribed, and countless other memories. The Abomination looked at the car, and came back to himself. Their plan won out. However, it was not without casualties… the Fallen Angel had been killed, the Righteous Man severely beaten and the Abomination stuck in eternal punishment. Then, a miracle occurred. The Fallen Angel was brought back to life, and not as a human: he was once again the Angel. He healed the Righteous Man and undertook the mission of retrieving the Abomination without disturbing the others. He succeeded. And thus, the apocalypse was averted by two boys, a fallen angel and others… others, who were equally important as the three."

"…"

"…"

"Wow… where's that from? I've never heard it before."

"I believe the story is detailed in one of Carver Edlund's  _Supernatural_ books."

"That's an insane story. I'll have to check them out."

"It's rather far into the series."

"If the other stories are like that, I don't care."

"Okay."

"Hey, nice timing! That's our bus."

"That is fortuitous."

"…"

"…"

"Hey, you don't need that much! Just one of the fives."

"Which one is a… five?"

"The one with a five in the corner. What, you never used money before?"

"…"

"You serious? Okay, you're lucky I'm here."

"Thank you for your help."

"…"

"…"

"Hey, you can sit by me… if you like."

"Thank you, but I prefer to spend journeys in silence."

"Oh… okay. It was nice to meet you, Cas."

"And you, Alice."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okaaaay so after writing this i wanted to kind of write a ficlet based on the idea of cas telling someone this story and then a girl going home to read them and realising she met one of the characters? so if you go to my tumblr (ishouldnotlietomrfizzles), then it's the only thing under /tagged/my_ficlets so yeah, if you want to check that out


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey again, Cas. I thought I could just quickly show you somewhere to get some food and help you figure out how to get to Kansas. You… seem like you could use some help."

"I would be grateful for your help."

"It'd be my pleasure. Anyway, there's a grocery store pretty close if you just want to grab some food to eat on the bus, or I could take you to a fast food place…?"

"Would I be able to get a burger?"

"Yeah, sure. I think there's a Biggerson's around here somewhere."

"…"

"Okay, it's this way."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"So, you like burgers?"

"Yes."

"Actually, that was a stupid question. Doesn't everyone like burgers?"

"I don't think Sam is very fond of them."

"Sam?"

"One of my brothers."

"Right, okay."

"…"

"You don't talk much, do you?"

"I see no need to talk if I have nothing to say."

"That's actually pretty refreshing."

"…"

"Okay, here's Biggerson's. I'll order first."

"Okay."

"I'll have a regular burger, small fries, and a medium Diet Coke. Thanks."

"I would like a… regular burger, too."

"D'you want fries? A drink?"

"No, I don't think s-"

"You're not going to Kansas just on a burger. He'll have large fries and a medium Diet Coke, too, thanks."

"You okay with that, dude?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"Okay, gimme a minute then, guys. You can sit down, if you like."

"Thanks."

"…"

"So you've not ever left home on your own before, then?"

"No, not really."

"Oh… that was supposed to be a joke…"

"Well, it is true."

"Why did your family ever let you leave, then?"

"I didn't exactly tell them I was leaving. I thought I would return soon enough, without having to transport like this."

"…"

"…"

"Sometimes I feel like you haven't told me a single truth today."

"The story was true."

"Sure it was, Cas. You're funny."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Okay, shall we get you a bus ticket to Topeka then?"

"Okay."

"This way."

"…"

"How much money do you have?"

"I was told it would be sufficient for a trip to Topeka."

"Yeah, I don't think it's that expensive… the problem's more with how long it takes."

"How long does it take?"

"I'm not sure, I've never taken this bus route exactly… I guess it'll be a few hours, at least, though."

"That's not long."

"Wait 'till you have to spend it on a bus."

"I've been on longer bus journeys."

"I thought you said you hadn't travelled like this before?"

"I didn't. I said I was not expecting to have to travel like this."

"How did you not know how to pay, then?"

"It's not been an issue before."

"Um… okay?"

"…"

"Well, we're here. You go up to the lady there and ask her when the next bus to Topeka is, and then ask for a ticket on it. Then add up the numbers on the corners of the notes until you get to a number that's close to the amount she tells you to pay, but over it. Got it?"

"I believe so."

"Okay. Then I'll go. Oh, and when you get to Topeka, go to the tourist bureau. It'll be pretty close, I'm sure, and they'll help you get to Lebanon."

"Thank you for your help, Alice."

"You're welcome, Cas. Good luck with getting home."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we take a break from our scheduled broadcasting for this little interlude from the Winchesters.

"Dean."

"Shut up, Sam."

"No. Why aren't we looking for Cas?"

"Leave me alone."

"It isn't like you to leave anyone behind. What's happening?"

"…"

"Oh come on, you're not still pissed with him, are you?"

"…"

"Dude! He needs us! He's human now, he's not gonna be able to cope without us. He's only even  _been_  here once. For all we know, he could be looking for us now, not knowing where we are! We've gotta hel-"

"Cas is  _dead_ , Sam, so shut the fuck up."

"Wha- how do you- you don't know that."

"Yeah, I do."

" _How_?"

"Because I was the one with him before he went back to heaven. He  _said_  the angels would kill him."

"Didn't Naomi forgive him?"

"Yeah, but I don't think word spreads that quickly. And you know Cas as well as I do. He wouldn't just  _let_ Metatron win. He'd stop him from closing heaven or die trying."

"…"

"…"

"That... that doesn't mean he's dead. He could have fallen with the rest of them… we should still look."

"Say for a second you're right. How the fuck would we look for him? He could be anywhere. We have no way to track him; no cell, no credit cards… hell, he doesn't even have a  _name_."

"Dean-"

"Face it, Sam. He's dead. And if he's not, there's nothing we can do."

"That doesn't mean you should just drink yourself into oblivion!"

"Hunter's Helper."

"He wouldn't want this for you."

"..."

"..."

"Shut the  _fuck_  up about Cas."


	7. Chapter 7

"Is this the tourist bureau?"

"Yep. What can I help you with?"

"What is the quickest way for me to get to Lebanon, Kansas from here? I don't have a car."

"Okay, lemme just look that up for ya."

"…"

"Doesn't look like Lebanon has any buses or trains. There's an airport with one runway, but I'm gonna assume they don't get much flights. It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, to be honest… uh, buses go to the Smith Center, though. I think that's the closest."

"Okay. How would I get from the Smith Center to Lebanon?"

"It's… 14.3 miles. That'd take you, like… 5 hours to walk. I'd suggest taking a cab, but that would be pretty expensive. If you have friends in the area, I'd call 'em and beg for 'em to drive you to Lebanon."

"Okay. Thank you very much for all your help."

"It's my job, bro. Need me to look up bus times for ya?"

"If I just go back to the bus station, they'll tell me, won't they?"

"Yep."

"Okay, then I will just go there. Thank you again."

"No biggie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's boring & short


	8. Chapter 8

"Hello. Could I purchase a map including here and Lebanon, Kansas?"

"Sure. The maps are over there."

"…"

"What, you're not able to get your  _own map_?"

"I… don't know how to choose a map."

"It's easy if you know how to read one."

"…"

"What use is buying a map if you can't  _read_  it?"

"I thought I could figure it out."

"Okay, well thank your lucky stars you're hot, 'cause if you weren't then I wouldn't teach you."

"…"

"That's a compliment. You say 'thank you', then we move on."

"Thank you."

"Whatever. Okay, Lebanon's pretty close, I think, so it might be on this map. You see we're here – it says 'Smith Center'."

"Yes."

"So we look around the rest of the map for the word 'Lebanon'. Is it big? Small?"

"It doesn't have buses or trains, so I assume it is small. I believe I was told it was 14.3 miles from here."

"Oh, that's actually helpful. Okay, you see this line in the corner? It tells you the actual distance it represents. So this far is a mile. Got it?"

"Yes."

"So if we look for something roughly 14 times that distance away, we're in business."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Aha! It's here. You see?"

"Yes."

"How're you planning on getting from here to there? You driving?"

"I don't have a car."

"Jesus, you're planning on walking? In Kansas summer?"

"Yes. I was hoping I could also buy sustenance for the journey."

"You better. How much can you carry?"

"I… believe I have a fair amount of muscle. I only have the pockets in this coat, however."

"You can buy a bag, too. Okay, we'll just load one up and see how much you can carry. It's gonna take you, what, six hours?"

"I was told it would be roughly five hours."

"Yeah, so we'll need to make it pretty light. So you'll have to eat and drink in moderation – and definitely nothing salty. Okay, well, here's a bag… I guess take one of the huge bottles of water. It's food that's the problem; fruit wouldn't dehydrate you, but it isn't very filling. Chips would fill you, but they're salty."

"…"

"I guess the best thing to take would be a couple of these protein bars and a sandwich. Then, when you get there, beg someone to feed you and drink, like, a gallon of water."

"Okay."

"Can you carry that? Does it hurt your shoulders at all? If it does, we'll have to take some out."

"No, that's all right."

"Oh, and for fuck's sake,  _take the coat off_. You'll  _melt_."

"…"

"Not literally. Shove it in the bag, it won't weigh that much. Take off the jacket, too; did you come here from Antarctica or something?"

"No, Topeka."

"That was a joke, wise guy. Is the bag still okay?"

"Yes."

"Okay, given you don't seem to understand climate, I'm just gonna invade your personal space here for a second to make you more comfortable when you get out there…"

"What are you doing?"

"Calm down. I'm just rolling up your sleeves and untucking your shirt. Oh, I'll take your tie off and undo a couple of buttons, too. All it does is mean that any breezes you'll get will actually cool you down, rather than just turn your child molester coat into a cape."

"…"

"You don't get out much, do you?"

"I'm not skilled in social interaction, if that is what you're asking."

"Yep, that's it. Okay, now you owe me for all this. I won't charge you for manual labour, even though I've probably just prevented your death. Give me a ten. I'll give you the change."

"Oh, my money is in my coat pocket."

"So get it out."

"Okay."

"…"

"…"

"Fuck, I'll fold the coat for you. Here."

"Thank you very much."

"Here's your change. Get out of here. Don't die."

"I… will try not to."

"And put the change in the bag, dumbass!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting this one early because i really enjoyed writing this character, so i'll celebrate my joy. bonus points to anyone who guesses the type of person i saw when writing her...


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's a bit weird. I kinda wanted to represent this part of the journey, but I couldn't figure out a way for Cas to actually have a conversation with someone. i tend to assume it's in his head.
> 
> important: 14 miles is possible to walk - it's a half marathon. but you should not do it unprepared, especially not in 'hot and often humid' conditions, like summer in this area of Kansas is supposed to be. Cas will be all right with it, but then he (probably) has some angelic abilities left (as Anna did), and, given Misha's build, I take it that Jimmy was pretty fit. However, don't ever read this and assume you will be - I'm not a walker, but even I think Cas is woefully unprepared for this; one bottle of water and a small amount of food, where he pretty much hasn't eaten throughout this whole journey and months before is not good. Do me a favour and research before you do anything like this - and please don't ever find yourself in a situation where the only way you can reach anyone is by getting yourself to them, in a really remote place.

"Okay, so I walk past Wagner Park then turn right… then past the Baptist Church until I'm on School Ave… Avenue? Then I turn left."

"That's a lovely church."

"Prairie Wind? What's a Prairie Wind?"

"A motel. I ought to tell Sam and Dean about it."

"Now I just… stay straight on this road."

"Bobby would like this yard…"

"My throat… am I… thirsty? How do I get this bottle out easily? Do I just take the bag off every time? That seems impractical."

"How much do I drink? She told me to be cautious."

"I'm still thirsty."

"Okay, that's enough. I doubt I'm even a mile on the way yet."

"How far does the map say I've travelled? A mile is roughly this long… oh. I have walked for more than a mile."

"Where do I turn next? Have I missed it? Surely I've been walking for long enough…"

"Oh, it's that turn up ahead."

"I feel… like I'm surrounded by fire. Why is there water on my face?"

"…"

"Salty water?"

"This route isn't particularly picturesque."

"What are these places? Are they… farms?"

"Cows!"

"I must keep going. I will notice my tiredness more if I stop."

"At least… that's what Dean said."

"There are a very large number of these buildings with metal roofs. What is their function? Surely metal roofs are highly impractical? I doubt they keep the building very cool."

"Oh! This field is actually green!"

"I like green."

"…"

"Goodbye, green."

"Why does my stomach feel… like it is clenching?"

"Oh, maybe I'm hungry. I suppose I ought to eat the sandwich."

"…"

"This isn't very pleasant."

"No, I must eat it. She  _implied_  I would get very hungry later, anyway. Aren't humans supposed to have three meals a day? It is getting late. This is my first."

"My stomach doesn't feel better."

"What do I do with this… card?"

"I suppose I could put it in the bag."

"Would eating the bars now be a waste?"

"How far have I gone?"

"I'm not even halfway, yet, I believe."

"I'll save the bars."

"My mouth… tastes strange."

"Would water fix that?"

"Stop drinking, Castiel. Slow down."

"Oh, there's a lake!"

"That doesn't look very clean."

"I ought to get back on the road."

"These trees don't look very healthy…"

"Oh! Is this a town?"

"It's smaller than Smith Center…"

"The map… maybe this is 'Bellaire'?"

"That means I'm roughly halfway there."

"Okay, I turn here…"

"…"

"… and here."

"Now… I keep going on this road."

"Well, this is slightly more green."

"…"

"Not anymore."

"My legs are starting to ache."

"I don't remember this much pain last time I was human…"

"Actually, I believe I was in more pain when I was in hospital."

"Walking never caused me this much discomfort, however."

"More metal roofs! I wonder if there is a farmer I can ask about them…"

"These trees look happier."

"Is this… a cemetery?"

"It doesn't seem as though many people visit."

"I suppose… if there were any vengeful ghosts, they would cause no harm."

"That means that no one would know of them. I should inform Sam and Dean of this."

"This is a long road."

"I am further than three-quarters of the way there…"

"I can have one of the bars."

"This taste is… remarkably unpleasant."

"Oh, my stomach likes this."

"Okay, I will have the rest. Sam and Dean will give me food, I am sure."

"Oh, do I turn here?"

"Yes, I think I do."

"This means I am close!"

"There are houses now… so where would the bunker be?"

"There were trees. It was hidden in some trees…"

"I suppose I should find a place with thick tree coverage."

"…"

"Near a road."

"…"

"Slightly away from town."

"…"

"…"

"I know where to go from the grocery store. Where is the grocery store?"

"Here it is! I could go in and get more water…"

"No, that clerk from last time did not seem friendly."

"Now I believe I must go in this direction…"

"It won't be long now."

"My legs can continue."

"…"

"This area looks familiar…"

"Why is it suddenly difficult to breathe?"

"My chest hurts."

"This is the bunker. I'm sure of it."

"Now… I just… knock?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Dean."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, i may have gotten up the route on google maps and looked at the satellite pictures to write Cas' part.
> 
> next chapter is the last one, kiddos.


	10. Chapter 10

"Dude, you've drunk enough today.  _Stop_."

"I'm the older brother here."

"Yeah, but  _one_ of us has to be responsible."

"…"

"Look, even if you've given up on Cas, we need to figure out what to do about the angels."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Get this, everyone's calling it a 'surprise meteor shower'. No one is even registering the fact that there are naked people in the area where almost  _every_ meteor was supposed to land."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Dean. Please."

"Sam, I-"

"Was that a knock?"

"I… I think it was."

"Who would  _knock_?"

"Charlie would call first."

"Someone from the city?"

"Maybe."

"Should we… ignore it?"

"…"

"…"

"They knocked again. I'll get it."

"You sure?"

"I've been drinking for a long time, Sam. I think I can handle walking."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Dean."

"…"

"…"

" _Cas_?"

"Yes."

"…"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm hugging you."

"What… what do I do?"

"Hug me back?"

"How?"

"Copy what I'm doing, Cas, you're good at that."

"…"

"And hurry it up, I can feel tits growing."

"…"

"Not literally."

"Is… this right?"

"Yeah."

"…"

"…"

"This is nice."

"Yeah. Now come in and tell us how you got here. You look disgusting. Hey, Sam! We have a visitor."

"Cas? Hey, I told you!"

"Yeah, no need to gloat."

"Is… is it all right if I stay with you?"

"Yeah, of course it is."

"Yeah, Dean's only had a room ready for you since we moved in."

"Shut up, asswipe."

"May I have some food?"

"Sure. I'll go get it."

"Thank you, Dean."

"…"

"Is he all right?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine… he gets a bit... angsty when he thinks his best friend is dead. Doesn't sleep, becomes more of an alcoholic..."

"So… he isn't angry with me?"

"I wouldn't say that. But… well. He knows what it's like not to have a home. That'll override everything else, I'm sure."

"Okay."

"…"

"…"

"He's been making burgers practically non-stop since we've moved in. I don't think he knows how to cook anything else."

"That's all right. I like burgers."

"Yeah, we know."

"…"

"So, how did you get here? Where  _were_  you?"

"It is a really long story."

"Well, we've got some time."

"Well, I got to heaven, and-"

"Hey, you didn't start story time without me, did you?"

"I figured Cas could tell you later."

"What, and miss now?"

"I figured you'd be making Cas one of your precious burgers."

"Shut it. I'm not risking a culinary masterpiece when we don't even know if his tastebuds work, so I made him a sandwich. Go for it, Cas, you don't need to wait for anything. And drink some fucking water, you look like you're about to turn into a mummy."

"…"

"…"

"I had a sandwich earlier. It wasn't very nice."

"Well, what was in it?"

"…"

"Not every sandwich has the same stuff in it. Just try it. And remember, you're not allowed to dislike things I make for you."

"You are allowed. He just doesn't like his ego being wounded."

"…"

"It's… nice."

"Thanks."

"Don't pull that face at me, jerk."

"Bitch."

"…"

"So, story time?"

"When I got to heaven, I saw that Naomi was dead…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and fin.


End file.
